Box Score
WinthropPhotos.com
ROCK HILL, SC – Krystyna Freda scored the lone goal of the afternoon to lead Winthrop to a 1-0 victory over the High Point Panthers on Friday afternoon, advancing to the championship game of the Big South Conference Tournament for the first time since 2009.
The Lady Eagles improve to 12-6-2 overall this season, while HPU wraps up its season with a record of 10-6-6.
“I thought we played well,” said Winthrop head coach
Spencer Smith. “I am really pleased with our determination today. I thought our intensity level throughout the 90 minutes was excellent and defensively I thought we were solid. High Point is an excellent opponent, no doubt about it. I thought we did a real good job of limiting their opportunities.”
Freda, the newly crowned Big South Attatck Player of the Year, scored in the 24
th minute of the first after she beat her defender on the right wing at the end of the 18-yard box. Freda made a couple of step-over moves before shooting from just inside of the 18-yard box and beating the diving Panther goalkeeper Jessie May at her near post.
High Point's Jacky Kessler had three opportunities to find the back of the net for the Panthers but on each occasion her shots went high over the Winthrop net.
Winthrop's best opportunity to extend the lead in the second half came when
Taylor Walton struck the post in the 61
st minute. Freda played a through ball to Walton who was one-on-one with the goalkeeper, she took a touch wide and past May before shooting from 14 yards out on the right wing.
The Lady Eagles defense was tested throughout the second half facing four second half corner kicks and seven shots from the Panthers. Winthrop goalkeeper
Sarah Schippers, who replaced
Amelia Henderson at the beginning of the second half, made four second half saves to keep HPU of the scoreboard and preserve the eighth shutout of the season for the Lady Eagles.
The Lady Eagles move on to face the Radford Highlanders in the final of the Big South Conference Tournament on Sunday, November 4 at 2:00 p.m. at Eagle Field. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN3.
